Australia will come harder in second Test, warns Bangladesh head coach Simmons

Mackay, Aug 20 (IANS) Bangladesh head coach Phil Simmons has warned his team to prepare for a fierce fightback from Australia in the second Test and urged his players to raise their game even higher, after securing a historic nine-wicket victory in the series opener in Darwin.

Simmons made it clear that while the win in Darwin was monumental, the job is far from complete as they prepare for the second Test to be played at the Great Barrier Reef Arena. “The only thing I had to say to them – and I will repeat it anyway – is that Australia is going to come harder.

“So we have to either keep that level of performance or get a little bit better. Even if we [have to] get 1% better in some areas, then we will have to make sure that that’s there. But we know that they are going to change their game. They are going to come harder at us,” Simmons told reporters on Thursday.

Reflecting on the team’s work ethic, Simmons said his faith in the group never wavered, despite bundled out for just 54 runs in a warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI prior to the game in Darwin.

“I’ve seen the practices, I’ve seen how we practiced before the three-day game, and I’ve seen how we practiced the three days before the Test match. So the work didn’t change. Even though we made 54, an off day, the work rate didn’t change. So it gives me that sort of confidence that the guys want this, and they want to do well.

“Bangladeshi people are emotional. I’m not the same, so it’s easy for me to control that. It’s difficult for them, but I think looking at them today… the guys have settled back down a lot. We hope that tomorrow again there’s a little more settling, so we start on the right footing on Saturday.”

Left-arm pacer Shoriful Islam impressed in the nets after joining the main squad, but Simmons indicated he remains reluctant to make any changes to a winning lineup. “He offers something different. But again, we just won a Test match. I’m one… who hardly likes to change winning teams. So it’s a possibility, but I can’t really say.

“I’m impressed with all the bowlers because I think everybody bowled to what we spoke about. They’re good batsmen (in the Australia side), they’re world-class batsmen. You try and be consistent in areas that will test them. And it worked this time. Another day, it might not work. But as long as we stick to what we planned and we make sure that they’re under pressure all the time, (that) is what we ask for.”

Bangladesh’s success in Darwin was built on a monumental first-innings effort, where they batted for 138 overs to score 426 runs, a blueprint Simmons wants his side to replicate in Mackay. “Test cricket is five days; if my team can bat for 11 hours out of those five days, then the other team must be under pressure.

“For me, that’s how I learned in Test cricket. You bat, you get a score. A big first-innings score is always good. Then you put the other team under pressure. That’s what we’re trying to do. Bat and get big scores in the first innings and make sure that the other team has to do a lot of work to get those scores.”

–IANS

nr/bc